The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-08-06
WHOLE No. 1891

bear witness that his or her acquaintanees
hate to be and are angry at being de
oeivei. They that are fond Of deception
are plainly those unknown. abstract folk,
who are sure to be punished for the sins
we commit, and whom we love to regard
metaphysically as the victims of a
vaguely violated justice.
"A little learning is dangerous
thing Thousands read this without
remembering or knowing that it is a line
OF Pope, probably made with no higher
intent than to fit the corresponding line
OF the couplet. 1t has become an alb
horlsm, prOverb, because it has a TAX
ing air and sounds well-reason enough
Tor the currency OF half our popular say
insS. a little learning may be dan
gerous, but it is far better than no learn
ing, which is danger itself. The corrol
larry is, tina. ignorance is comparatively
Tree from peril, which is ter times as
false as the original proposition.
The greatest tallacy of this and many
maXlms Is in the necessary inference
that is drawn. Their greatest mischief
lies IN their incompeteness ard in the
fact that they are generally accepted as
complete. Any half truth or partial
falsehood, if felicitously expressed and
APPLY repeated, has tivefold weight lin
controversy or conversation that whole
truth awk wardly worded has. lie Who
coult. tnakc the proverbs of a nation
would possess more Influence than he
who would write lis history and frame
its laws. They have been defined as the
wit of one and the wisdom of MANY.
They are oftener the fallacy of the one
and tie inability to detect it of the null
titude
Proverbs depend not for popularity
upon wisdom, but upon the art OF put
ting them. The farther they are re-
moved from obvious truth, if they be
adroitly couched, the more likely they
are to be accepted. \ spice of i'll nature
IS prone TO preserve them. and render
them pal"tablc to the public palate. We
like t" repeat what We know is false
when the falsehood is giossed uy Ike
embalming epigram, the consciousness
that the thing has bccn said before free
ing US from accountability for its pro
mitigation.
Hardly maxim or proverb exists i'll
our own Or any other language that may
hot be taken to pieces before its atom of
truth, if any, can be found. The prov
cribs of the French and Spanish are the
wittiest and the fallsest; those of the
Germans and the Scandinavians the
dullest and the truest. No current say
ing but is contradcted by auother-as
1.-TWO Of trade never agree Birds of
feather flock together;' "In multi
tude of counsels there is safety" Too
many cooks spoil the BROTH" and 50 on
through every variety of affirmation and
denial, Of Inconsistency and contrariety.
All sorts of sustainment for all sorts of
conduct, every kind of encouragement
lor every virtue and every vice, may be
gathered from proverbs. Entirely de
void of argument, they are regarded and
quoted as arguments; defiant of logic,
they accomplish what logic cannot,
Properly considered, they are helps to
language, ornaments to conversation,
delicate punctures for pretense, of ines
timable value to society. But consid-
cred as they usually areas strength
eners of position, excusers Of conduct,
palliators of otfense-they are inestimably
pernicious. They teach the same lesson
and the same truth which the declara-
ton does-that stoutly maintained lie
is infinitely better than poorly de-
Tended truth,